Louisiana Safe Routes To School Program

1. Louisiana Safe Routes To School Program Infrastructure Projects

2. To Enable And Encourage Children, Including Those With Disabilities, To Walk And Bicycle To School. To Make Bicycling And Walking To School A Safer And More Appealing Transportation Alternative, Thereby Encouraging A Healthy And Active Lifestyle From An Early Age; And Continued on next slide Purpose(Section 1404(b) of the legislation)

3. To Facilitate The Planning, Development And Implementation Of Projects And Activities That Will Improve Safety And Reduce Traffic, Fuel Consumption, And Air Pollution In The Vicinity Of Schools. Purpose (Continued)

4. INFRASTRUCTURE – Generally those activities that involve the planning, design and construction of physical improvements NON-INFRASTRUCTURE – Generally those activities related to education and the encouragement of walking and bicycling to school as well as enforcement and evaluation Funding Categories

5. Infrastructure is a prerequisite Relationships between all components are everything Easy to implement, low cost solutions should be implemented first Guiding Principles

6. Improvements requiring substantial time and financial commitment are identified and an implementation plan developed Engineering treatments are matched to the type of problem Guiding Principles (cont.)

7. Where it’s safe, get kids bicycling and walking to school. Where it’s not safe, make the changes necessary to make it safe. SRTS Summary Goals

8. Sidewalk improvements (new, repairs,etc.) Traffic calming/speed reduction improvements Pedestrian/bicycle crossing improvements On-street bicycle facilities Off-street bicycle/pedestrian facilities Bicycle parking facilities Traffic diversion improvements Infrastructure Examples

9. Sidewalks, Bike/Ped. paths Pedestrian bridge renovation Flashing school zone lights Bike racks Crosswalks and signs La Infrastructure Examples

10. State highway or local roads Must be within 2 miles of a primary or middle school Must be public right of way Property acquisition must conform to Federal requirements Location

11. Creates safer conditions for walking and bicycling Can influence the way people behave Engineering West Valley City, UT

12. What’s wrong with this picture?

23. Develop a school route map The school zone Along the school route Crossing the street Slowing down traffic Engineering Tools Outline

24. Develop a school route map Neighborhood Walk-abouts and Bike-abouts Walking and Bicycling Audits Parent and student surveys Develop a school traffic control plan Identify Safe School Routes

25. School Route Maps

26. School Traffic Control Plan

27. Signs and Pavement Markings MUTCD (http://mutcd.fhwa.dot) Yellow-Green school signs School Speed Limits In-street signing Other The School Zone

28. Safe and well designed facilities ADA requirements Sidewalks Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian facilities (AASHTO) Recommend 5’ width Bicycle facilities Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities (AASHTO) Along the School Route

29. Identify good crossing locations Reduce crossing distances Use appropriate traffic controls Are Traffic volumes and/or speed a safety problem Crossing the Street

30. Slowing Down Traffic • Traffic calming • Radar speed displays • Speed humps • Other design elements

31. AASHTO Design Guides ADA Requirements DOTD Requirements Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) Engineering Considerations

32. Sidewalks Signs and Markings Traffic calming/diversion Summary of Solutions

33. New Sidewalk Problems • Drainage • Piping ditches is expensive • Right-of-Way • Acquisition must conform to FHWA requirements • Utilities • Relocation • Adjustments

34. Developing a Program

35. Comprehensive SRTS Program • The 5 E’s • Engineering • Education • Encouragement • Enforcement • Evaluation

36. Identify The Problem(s) Develop Solutions Infrastructure Improvements Non-Infrastructure Activities Estimate Cost Develop An Action Plan Develop An Evaluation Plan Developing An SRTS Program

37. Organize Assess Current Environment Assess Existing Infrastructure Identify Safety Problems Collect Data Problem Identification“No spin – just the facts”

38. SCHOOL (Principal, staff, student) LOCAL GOVERNMENT (Enforcement, DPW, School Board, etc.) PARENTS (PTO, etc.) OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES ENGINEER (Traffic or other) CHAMPION (Someone who can keep things moving) Organize(Form A Team)

39. Identify students who: Currently walk or bike to school Take bus or driven to school Live within one or two miles of school Could potentially walk or biketo school SRTS student and parent surveys See SRTS website Assess Current Environment

40. Meadowview Elem.

41. Sidewalks, Paths, Etc Barriers Operational Other Problems Assess Infrastructure

42. First, consider low cost, easy to implement solutions Identify and program longer-term improvement needs Match the treatment to the problem Engineering Solutions

43. Provide Safe Street Crossings Keep it simple Shorten crossing distances Carefully select crossing locations and marked crosswalks Control Traffic Speed Engineering Solutions (Cont.)

44. Actual Safety Problems Perceived Safety Problems Identify Safety Problems

45. Observations Around The School, Along The School Route, Crossing The Street, Traffic Behavior Etc. Collect Data Crash Data From Local Police Crime Data Traffic volume and speed data Actual Safety Problems

46. Surveys Parents Children Types Traffic Crime Other Perceived Safety Problems

47. Weather Backpacks Too Far Etc. Other Problems

48. Improve Facilities Engineering Change Driver Behavior Engineering Enforcement Encourage Students/Parents Educate Students/Parents/Teachers Identify Potential Solutions

49. Identify The Impact Of The Proposed Solution In Regards To The Identified Problem Increased Safety? More children walking/bicycling to school? Reduced speeds? Change in behavior? Link The Solution/Problem

50. Engineering Construction Operations Develop Infrastructure Cost Estimates